These are not ordinary chicken tenders. These are exotic, tropical chicken tenders - with a crispy golden crust of coconut, ground cashews and panko bread crumbs. Dip them into the intensely flavorful sweet and sour guava sauce for even more tropical taste.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: About 12-15 chicken tenders.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloin pieces
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Touch of hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup cashews
- 1/3 cup sweetened dried coconut
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup guava jelly
- 1/2 cup orange or pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preparation:
- Whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, yogurt, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken tenders in a glass dish or ziplock bag and cover with the coconut milk mixture. Let chicken marinate for about an hour (or overnight).
- Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, soy sauce, guava jelly, sugar, and juice to a boil. Whisk until jelly is dissolved. Stir cornstarch into about 3 tablespoons of water until dissolved. Whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens adn turns slightly translucent. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Place cashews and shredded coconut in a food processor and process until very finely ground. Add panko bread crumbs to the coconut and cashews and mix well. Coat chicken tenders with the bread crumb mixture.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a layer of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken tenders in batches, until just golden brown on both sides. Place tenders on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.
- Serve tenders warm with dipping sauce.
